Toy aeroplane



' 4 July 14, 1931. A F; WOLFF 1,814,104

TOY AEHOPLANE Filed April 22. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 info mVENTGR ATTORNEY July 14, 1931. A. F. WOLFF TOY AEROPLANE- I Filed April 22.1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 14, 1931 1,814,104

UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE ANTON F. WOLFE, F GENE-SEE, IDAHO TOY AEROILANE Application filed April 22, 1929. Serial No. 357,218.

This invention relates to new and useful tion and in line with the longitudinal axis improvements in toys of the rotary gliding of the shaft. aeroplane type. A block 13 of elongated formation having An object of the invention contemplates connection at one end with the outermost xi the provision and arrangement of means projecting extremity of the cross bar 12 dewhereby toys may be raised and lowered pends for appreciable distances in spaced while rotated. parallelism to the squared portion 11 and ul- Another object of the invention consists of timately terminates in an outwardly flared asupporting structure for the elevating extremity 14 to establish and provide an en- 10 m ha i m, larged entrance for the pocket or socket 15,

More specifically stated the supporting as defined. structure is rigidly suspended whereby the A hook 16, having an open eye secured driving power created by the centrifugal within the ceiling or other likely place force attained by the planes during flight of suspension, is shaped to provide an 15 will actuate the elevating mechanism to the eye and pocket corresponding in shape to ut o t, that of the construction employed upon the \Vith the above and other objects in view, uppermost end of the shaft 10. The interthe invention further consists of the followlocking engagement of the pocket or socket ing novel features and details of construc- 15 within the eye of the hook 16 will estabtion, to be hereinafter more fully described, lish a positive locking connection therebeillustrated in the accompanying drawings tween by means of which the shaft 10 will be and pointed out in the appended claims. held against movement in a vertical plane.

In the drawings A frame structure 17, receiving the shaft Figure 1 is an elevation of my invention. 10 at intermediate points in the lengths of '35 Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal; the ends therefor, is provided with outwardsectional view taken on line 22 of Figure 1. ly and horizontally disposed ears 18 upon the Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view side portions thereof and apertured to acof a portion of the rigidly secured supportcommodate and journal the adjacent porin apparatus. tions of a rod or cross arm, such as indicated 30 igure 4 is a perspective view of a modiat 19. A bearing washer 20 and holding nut fied form of spool structure especially de- 21 therefor supporting the weight of the signed for use where considerable force is deframe structure 17 upon the shaft 10 are rerived from the centrifugal driving actions of tained in such position by a jam nut 22 the plane. threaded upon the lowermost depending end 35 Figure 5 is an elevation of a modified form of the shaft 10. A spiral gear 23 having opof supporting apparatus and operating positely and laterally projecting sleeve pormeans therefor partly broken away to illustions'2t receivable upon and fixed to the rod trate the construction thereof. 19 between the ears 18 of the frame structure Figure 6 is a top plan view of the modifi- 17, is meshingly engaged with a spiral or 40 tion, worm gear 25 disposed at right angles there- Referring to the drawings in detail whereto. I in like characters of reference denote corre- The latter mentioned gear carries a desponding parts, the reference character 10 pending central sleeve 26 receivable upon the indicates a shaft having a squared portion 11 shaft 10 in the manner shown in Figure 2 of offset and projected in parallelism adjacent the drawings. A ratchet member 27, fixed its uppermost end. A cross bar 12 having upon the shaft 10 adjacent the lowermost end flat sides but of oblong shape is extended at of the sleeve 26, is adapted for ratchet drivright angles from one side and adjacent the ing connection with the sleeve 26 during ceruppermost end of the squared portion 11 tain phases in the operation of the invention across the space cleared by the squared porwhich will be hereinafter set forth.

Pulley wheels 28, carried adjacent the ends of the rod 19, are shaped to provide grooves 29 of dove-tail shape in cross section, the construction and formation thereof necessitate undercutting of the adjacent side walls of the pulley body to prevent the cord or cable 30 wound thereon from becoming disengaged therewith incident to centrifugal force attained by aeroplanes or representations thereof, indicated as at 31, having connection with the outermost ends thereof.

A drum 32, carried upon the rod 19 and having a cord 33, wound and rewound thereon during the ascending and descending actions of the planes 31 is utilized for the purpose of returning the planes to an ascended position when a weight or other object, indicated as at 34, is arranged upon the tail end thereof.

lVhen the planes 31 have descended and the cord or cable 33 wound up upon the spool 32, any one of the two operations are then optional by means of which the planes may be merely rewound and elevated or same may be rewound, elevated and imparted centrifugal movement. The mere rewinding or rereeling action takes place when downward pressure is exerted upon the cable 33. The sleeve 26 for the spiraled faced gear 25 will rotate upon the shaft 10 and rise and fall with relation to the ratchet member 27 to skip or otherwise disengage the teeth thereof.

On the other hand where the weight 34 is employed, a set screw 34 carried by the sleeve 26 is shifted for biting engagement with the floor surface or ground incident to centrifugal force derived during circuitous courses pursued at ever changing heights. The modified form of pulley closely resembles that of the conventional shape of tape spool and in order to retain the cord thereon during centrifugal movement of the adjacent plane, a yoke 35 of substantial U-shape is employed. Eyes or rings 36 being formed at the extremities of the yoke to accommodate those portions of the rod 19 protruding from the ends of the spool whereby the yoke will follow the spool in either direction, if slidable. An annulus or ring 37, formed at an intermediate point in the base end of the yoke 35, is employed as the means of guiding the cord upon the pulley at right .angles even though the angularity of the cord from the plane to the annulus is most acute.

Incidentally it may be stated that the aeroplanes or representations thereof are suflicient by their combined weights to overcome the friction of the gear connection between the shaft 10 and rod 19 whereby said planes will have a normal tendency to occupy descended positions.

The planes may be started in either ascended or descended positions, but preferably the latter, to simulate planes taxiing down runways while taking off as same skirt about the landing field in circuitous courses. The courses, however, will not be of long duration inasmuch as the ascending force created by the presence of the weight 34 upon the elevated extremity of the cord 33 will facilitate a quick take off. Rotary motion of the rod 19 in either direction when reeling or unreeling with relation to the pulleys 28 therefor will also rotate about the shaft 10 in a horizontal plane whereby the planes will swing out from the cords 30 to derive and benefit by a longer descending action incident to the angularity thereof when occupying positions determined by centrifugal force.

The form of my invention disclosed in Figures 5 and 6 of my drawings embodies a shaft 38 secured at one end to a ceiling in a vertical plane. A stop collar 39, fixed to the shaft 38, supports a bearing washer 40 upon the upper side thereof in the manner shown. A cross bar 41, having a portion of the shaft extended horizontally through the intermediate portion thereof is rigidly secured to the bearing washer 40 through the instrumentality of pins or other fastenings indicated as at 42. A companion washer 43 supported upon the upper side of the cross bar 41 and held in position thereon by the upper most extending ends of the means of fastening 42, engages the adjacent end of a spool 44 carried upon the shaft 38.

The spool is of elongated formation and has oppositely wound thereon the upper portions of cords 45 and 46 trained over pulley wheels 47 carried at the ends of the cross bar 41. Aeroplanes 48 or any suitable designs or representations thereof are carried upon the outer ends of the cords 45 and 46. Under ordinary conditions the combined weights of the two aeroplanes would be sufficient to rotate the spool upon the shaft 38 in such manner that the cords 45 and 46 will unwind themselves therefrom.

A cable 49, passed through an opening 50 in the cross bar 41 eccentrically located with relation to the connection of the shaft 38 therewith, is passed over a guide 51 carried upon one of a pair of standards 52 upstanding from the cross bar 41. The uppermost end of the cable 49 is wound and rewound upon the spool 44 above the wrappings of the cord 45 thereon. A header 53 having connection at its ends with the uppermost extremities of the standards 52 is centrally apertured to accommodate the shaft 38 in the manner suggested in Figure 5 of the drawings. A stop collar 54 also fixed upon the shaft 38 and preferably located beneath the header 58 carries pawls or dogs 55 within vertically disposed openings therein for reciprocating action in conjunction with the toothed face of a ratchet head 56 formed upon the adjacent end of the spool 44. Staples 57, longitudinally disposed upon the standards 52, form guides for the cords 45 and 46 during the reeling and unreeling actions thereof with respect to the spool 44.

During the descending actions of the planes, the spool 44 will be rotated in a clock wise direction whereby the teeth of the ratchet head 56 will skip by and successively reciprocate the pawls or dogs 55 by exposing the inclined faces of the teeth thereto. During such movement, the cable 49 will be wound upon the upper portion of the spool 44 and when it is desirous to have the planes take off again from a floor or ground surface a weight or other object, indicated as at 58, suflicient to overcome the weight of the planes and friction of the operating means therefor will elevate said planes to occupy the Figure 5 position when set screws or other locking devices, indicated as at 59, threadedly mounted within the stop collar 54, are bitingly engaged with one of the pawls or dogs 55 to preserve locking connection between the shaft 38 and spool 44. The tendency of the unwinding action of the cords 45 and 46 by the combined weights of the aeroplanes 48 will swing the cross bar 41 about in such manner that the cable 49 will be wound upon the spool 44.

In either form of my invention the result is the same, that is, the planes may be raised and lowered by weight action during which time the planes will travel in ever changing circuitous courses.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction, and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A toy comprising a support having a shaft passed therethrough, a cross member carried by the support and operable from said shaft, a clutch connection between the shaft and cross member, reel structures mounted on the cross member for reeling and unreeling action, cords wound on said reel structures and supporting toys thereon, an auxiliary reel structure mounted on said cross member for reeling and unreeling action, said auxiliary reel structure having its windings wrapped reversely thereon with respect to the windings upon the reel structures, and a weight member carried upon the extended portion of the reel structure windings, to reel the reel structures as the auxiliary reel structure is unreeled.

2. A toy comprising a support havin a shaft passed therethrough, a cross mem er carried by the support and simultaneously operable therewith with relation to said shaft, a spool revolvably mounted upon the shaft, a clutch connection between the spool and shaft, cords mounted on said spool and supporting toys thereon, an auxiliary cord having its windings reversely wrapped upon the spool with respect to the windings of the mentioned cords, and a weight member carried upon the extended portion of the auxiliary cord to reel the mentioned cords as the auxiliary cord is unreeled.

3. In combination, a toy having a support, a shaft passed through the support and immovable with respect thereto, a cross arm for the support suspending cord connected toys therefrom, mechanically operated means rendered operable for reeling and unreeling action as the support turns about the shaft,

a clutch connection between the mechanically operated means and shaft, and weight operated means cooperatively associated with the mechanically operated means automatically returning the toys to starting positions.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ANTON F. WOLFF. 

